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Automotive X Prize Finalists Announced

After back in 1996 Peter Diamandis announced the Ansari X Prize, a competition meant to award a $10 million grant for the first non-government organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft, a similar competition is currently in progress for the automotive industry.

Called the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize, it aims to award $10 million to anyone who can produce a car capable of achieving 100 MPGe (miles per gallon or its energy equivalent). The competition has now entered its final round, as the Knockout Qualifying Stage concluded this June.

The final will see nine vehicles from seven teams competing for the money and a chance to start a new breed of vehicles. The winner of the competition will be announced this September, with the cars and teams listed below taking a shot at stardom:

  • Mainstream Class (two vehicles, one team): Very Light Car (Edison2) - two vehicles
  • Alternative Class (two vehicles, one team): E-Tracer (X-Tracer) - two vehicles
  • Alternative Class--Side-by-Side (five vehicles, five teams): Aptera 2e (Aptera), Wave II (Li-ion Motors), RaceAbout (RaceAbout Association), TW4XP (TW4XP), Alias (ZAP).
“These finalists highlight true innovation in fuel efficiency, and prove that their vehicles have the ability to withstand strict safety, performance and emissions requirements,” Eric Cahill, senior director of the X Prize was quoted as saying by Autoweek.

“These cars redefine what is possible and set a new standard of efficiency that promises to revolutionize the industry.”


For the best car to win, it must exceed 100 MPGe, meet the emissions and performance requirements, and complete the on-road challenges with the fastest time.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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